Red Moon
by Cheerios Freak
Summary: She swore the fall of the traitors, of her brothers' murderer on her pyre. 500 years later, the Red Moon is near and the fall of China even more. NejiTen
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

**By Cheerios Freak**

**221 Before J.-C.**

**End of the Three Dynasties**

**China, Xianyang**

The darkness was still the king upon the city but the light wouldn't be long before pointing his first rays of sunshine to caress China like a mother with her child. However, the atmosphere was heavy almost unbearable. The bell of the temple of the Dragon had rang thirty minutes ago bringing the citizens out of their home to the public place. Their faces were twisted with different emotions but none of them dared to open their mouth.

This was the end but the beginning at the same time. Even the children could remember the screams, the pain, the destruction, the horrors of the flames, the scarcity of food... Today was the end of the war, the end of fear, the end of the execution but the beginning of the reign of the Yuui clan.

Five years ago, the Kumosuki clan had begun to die slowly but 'their brothers' had decided to accelerate their extermination. Their well water had been envenomed as their part of the royal compound had been reduced to dust. As for the survivors, they have been killed by the mysterious harm that had already killed most of them. Even the body of Hun Kumosuki, their leader, had been found in the bloody rivers.

In the other hand, the Jurinai clan had decided to fight back with all their strength, causing the fall of a million of Yuui soldiers but it hadn't been enough. The last Jurinai was supposed to be executed today.

Hun, Jin and Chang had been at the end of the three great clans of magicians; the Yuui, the Jurinai and the Taimusuki clan. They had ruled China since the beginning. They have been three men who were calling each other brother and yet, there they were, having killed each other, having made their own blood flowed on the valleys of China, all this for power and maybe another obscure reason no one had figured out... yet.

The wind raised and a soft rain began to pour. Even the sky was crying for the end of hope. Today was the end of the Jurinai clan, the only clan who had dared to fight for the folk. Tomorrow, the other clans of magicians will fall. It was simply a logical fact. It would be easier for an Emperor to rule over a country of dumbbells than over other magicians. In the center of the public place a platform had been raised so everyone could see the head of the last Jurinai fell along with hope and freedom. Some women were crying silently while their children were hiding behind their kimono because they knew precisely what was going to happen. The men were all inwardly putting their rebellion and their weapons down. The peasants were gazing at their feet already calculating when they will be ruined with the high taxes of the new royal family of China.

The executioner was the first to mount the wooden stairs of the platform hidden behind a blank mask. However, the slits of the mask were revealing two porcine eyes, hungry of blood. It had been a while, after all, since a true execution had been held in town. The folk were, usually, encouraging him and he was simply giving them a good show elongating the torment of the victim to the maximum. Today, their little weaknesses, their anger, their hatred, their desires and their cowardice were looming out of each of them creating a crushing mood of pain and sorrow. Leisurely, they were realizing things would never be the same again... The victim appeared in a pouf of smoke surrounded by five soldiers.

The woman was wrapped in a black kimono, with the color of Death. Chin up, her royal blood could be felt along with her beauty. Her long bend eyelashes, her loose brown chocolate hair, the gracious way she was standing, the silhouette of her body under the cheapest fabric made in China... everything in this woman was beautiful, gracious almost bewitching. Her soft features summoned by two piercing hazel orbs glared at the seat of the Emperor of China. This was far from the end… He hadn't won at all. This was only the beginning. A young man stood up unrolling a scroll as the executioner held up a pyre at the surprise of everyone. Her death will be slow and painful, as much for her than for everyone else's, but an entertainment for the members of the Yuui clan.

"Lords, Ladies, citizens, peasants and My Grace," He added at the traditional words saluting courteously the master of the Yuui compound. "Today, Lady Isobel Jurinai will be executed, burned alive on the pyre for high treason against the royal family of China, the son of the Heaven, for the murder of numerous members of the Head House of the Yuui clan, for the dishonor at the memory of Chang Jurinai, her husband and for abjections against the Dragon, His Grace Jin Yuui. May everyone remember that she is the reason of the war and the dishonor of the whole Chinese territory, Lords, Ladies, citizens and peasants."

He sat down as the woman mounted the wooden stairs at her turn. Without ceremony, the headman and the soldiers tied her to the pyre. She didn't have a move of resistance but something was burning in her look, an emotion between anger and hatred and maybe hints of irony. After all, she was at the head of one of the strongest clans and there she was, tied to a piece of wood to be soon burned alive.

"May God and the Dragon forgive you and wash away the sins of your soul." The headman snorted.

A smirk curved her red lips as the masked man let down the torch. Slowly the fire rose devouring the wood at her feet. The children and some young women and men closed their eyes or simply looked away.

A thick smoke reached to the sky but the smirk never left her lips. "I will come back! When the Red Moon will be whole, I, now considered as an impure, will avenge my fallen brothers through the bodies of my descendants! I won't have any rest until I see the end of the Yuui dynasty!"She bit her below lip before slitting her blood at the feet of the Emperor. Everyone widened eyes keeping their breath as the Emperor pursued his lips. Her smirk widened, visibly amused. The order never left his mouth because she opened hers before him. "I swear on my blood to be the fall of the Yuui family and the beginning of freedom for this country. For now on, I curse this country and may you, Yuui, the ones I have once considered my brothers, all burn in hell."Her laughter resounded in the public place while the Emperor of China jumped of his seat watching the pyre closely to be sure the woman was burning. He gritted his teeth. This was too slow. He raised his hand to give an order but stopped looking around. This stupid folk! They weren't even realizing what she had said. May it stay that way until the end.

The stupefied almost outraged comments were heard from the nobles' sides while the peasants began to talk at the same amazed, shocked and maybe afraid of what the princess had said.

"Ninth hellish curse!"

Everyone froze. She had cursed this country with a forbidden spell. Hesitantly, they looked over at the pyre the red dancing flames ascended, almost reaching the dark sky. The wind followed the lead and violently blew the ash and some morsel of fire towards the royal compound. The horses neighed under the guards as her laughter once more echoed in the crowed public place. Shadows ran in the streets of the city extending the darkness to the whole country.

"She is a demon!!!" Some screamed pointing the red moon above their head.

This time, even the folk began to panic, afraid by what she had said and done.

The scent of the burned cotton and of the charred flesh filled the air as the atmosphere turned into something macabre. The thick ash-gray blur shrouded the pyre and the entire platform. Coughs were heard here and there but everything seemed to stop. Many dropped their heads addressing a last prayer to her. No one needed to see… She had fought until the end but she was gone in the fire of Yuui, masters of the water element…

Only a shadowed silhouette smirked looking down at a necklace in shape of a red moon. He closed his pearl eyes clenching his fists around the silver.

_'Until our next life, then, my love.'_


	2. Chapter 1 part 1

**Chapter One p****art 1**

**By Cheerios Freak**

_Diary of Isobel Jurinai_

**221 before J.-C., **

**End of the Three Dynasties**

**Desert of Gobi**

_**Ferret**_

_**Deer**_

_**Raccoon**_

_**Eagle**_

_**Dog**_

_**Dove**_

_**Fox**_

_**Tiger**_

_**Dragon**_

_My people still remember the persecutions of the Yuui clan to obtain more power but me more than anyone. In fact, the only ones who had suffered had been the magicians. The Ancients had always stated that we, magicians, were to protect people, the folk. _

_My brothers died one by one in front of me along with my friends and the ones who supported me and freedom as a future. My country was torn apart, reduce to dust. I watched from the Mongolian Mountains this glorious Empire destroying everything which meant something important to me. _

_As you can see, it was all a lie. We are destructions and we were involving the people we were supposed to protect in our fight. _

_When I watched my brother died, burned alive along with my compound, I decided the Yuui dynasty will come to an end, the most painfully possible. We have never wanted this war. They have started it and I simply defended myself and my people. _

_For days, I stayed with the Sabaku Tribe creating one of the most powerful spell, yet the most deathly. The spell was forbidden but I would rather give up my life with it than under the nose of these masters of the water element. One man helped me to create this curse I called later the Prophecy. At that time, the Yuui clan had a already a particular interested in the Desert of Gobi for its precious stones buried in the secrets of the Sand. _

_I decided that each clan persecuted by the Yuui clan will become eventually become a part of the curse. I named it the Ninth Hellish Curse. I become the vessel of the curse itself because I knew it was only a matter of time before warriors will come to the Desert for me. I will just have to free the spell when they will try to execute me. Of course, they knew weapons or any metallic objects won't pierce my skin because of my blood. Logically, they will use fire so I can feel in my flesh my own nature. _

_When the time of my execution will come, the heads of the persecuted clans will reincarnate an animal who will only awake in due time; the Hyuuga clan, the Inuzuka clan, the Nara clan, the Sabaku Tribe, the Guild and the Uzumaki clan. Each of them has a special link with me that's the reason why I gave them the power to avenge their fallen brothers. _

_In the other hand, I gave the only child of Jun Jurinai, my deceased husband, to the Temple of the Dragon. My descendants will be the key of the curse, a part of my soul, the only one able to create the Red Moon. When the blood the Yuui clan had made flow will reflect on the Moon, they will disappear, reduced to dust, and China will taste freedom for the first time since centuries. _

_The moon… like his eyes… they were so pure though they could defeat any lies. He will always be the only one to see my soul and the only one able to actually touch it. _

_In our next life, we will have to make one at the same time as the Red Moon. _

**-XOX-**

**Five centuries later, 279 after J.-C,**

**China, Xianyang,**

**Yuui Dynasty.**

She closed as softly as possible the wooden curtains biting her lip making it bleed. She shivered holding her arm. Closing her hazel eyes, she leaned on the wall muffling her screams of pain she knew she couldn't let out. It was her secret and none of their business. She was supposed to be a Yuui. She was supposed to wear kimonos, to act pretty all day, to be polite, to know the secrets of the water. She was everything but that. She hated with a deadly passion these kimonos which were captivating the men so much because they could see the curves of her back, of her arms… She hated to bow to these men who didn't even know respect. She hated to nod politely at them when she wanted to snort at each of their comments. She hated more than anything water. Water was the element of life, it was simply following the steam of the river, it was so pure… Still, it was everything she wasn't. She was fire. She was destroying everything standing in her way following her wish. She wasn't surrendering to anyone especially to men.

She clapped her hand against her mouth as she feel like someone was digging in her flesh with a red burning iron. A cold sweat fell down her forehead and along her vertebral column. What could it possibly be? So painfully yet, she could feel its powerful magic in all the fibers of her body. She dropped her head making her chocolate brown hair fell in front of her masking her visage. Why does it have to happen now? What was happening anyway?

The only magicians remaining in this country were the members of the Yuui clan. She closed her eyes giving in to the pain. She didn't recognize the essence of the spell. No… It wasn't in the clan. It was older and much more powerful.

She was different and her mother had sensed it. The Empress had always had this bad habit of marking each of Tenten's mistakes on her body. She was always staring icily at her youngest child searching for the slightest mistake to make her pay the shame. At her eyes, the young woman, she wasn't considering as her daughter, was the shame of Yuui clan. She didn't seem to possess the blood of the Yuui at all. The water wasn't obeying her will at all. She had made her paid this situation. For her she was a useless child always there to take out her anger on. This girl didn't even have any magic skill at all!

She chuckled softly as the pain died down. She passed her left hand through her brown chocolate hair smirking. The Empress only believed what she wanted to believe. If Tenten didn't have the blood of the Royal Family of China she didn't possess a magic essence as well. This was her conclusion but far from the truth.

The Princess was acting from A to Z. If they knew, they would kill her. Iron… That was her skills. She was like her father adopted within the clan but nobody knew their secret. Like Xiu had many times told her 'you are lucky to be beautiful, impure blood. If you weren't I will have kill you at your birth.' This woman's life was based on only one thing; honor.

It was in the sense of honor that she had killed the other clans of magicians. It was in this same sense that she was beating her own daughter. Always with the same mind, she had killed thousand and thousand of people. Why would it do a difference? It had always been that way and no one was there to make her paid. So she thought. Tenten was never going to forgive her. She never considered her as a daughter, never called her by the name her father gave her, never actually let her have some joys in her short miserable life.

Tenten wiped the sweat from her brows before looking down at her arm. Under her black sleeve of kimono, a red light was enlightening softly her room. Frowning slightly she pushed aside her sleeve. The light turned silver before dying brutally. Muttering several curses, she followed the red dragon tattooed on her arm with her fingers. She widened eyes when she realized it had been made by her blood. Only the symbol in Chinese meaning _hellish curse_ was in black.

"A curse?" She whispered shocked.

Her old master had taught her a lot about magic since the Yuui wanted to hide the fact she was good for nothing. She had never seen this kind of symbol. It was powerful and blood must have flown to be able to print it on someone's flesh. There were three kinds of curses. The Illusion Curses; used a thousand of years ago on the spies when the country was at war. The main idea was to create a fictional world by drawing a certain symbol on the spy's forehead. The memories of the man along with his biggest fears would come bit by bit torturing his mind destroying a couple of brain cells. The torture will go on and on until the victim screams the information in 'his dream'. The Bind curse; used still today to in all the marriages between two magicians or simply to look over another person. The pain, the emotions and the problems of the persons bound will be shared. Some men still used it to prevent their wives on cheating on her. The two persons must mix their blood and their essence. An invisible link will bind them together until one of them die. If the bond is particularly strong, if one of the two persons die the other will die with her. Finally there is the Hellish Curse: the most dangerous and the deathliest curse of all. You can curse whoever you want or whatever you want but in order to do it you must sacrifice something. It may be an arm, your powers or your own life, depending of how powerful your curse is.

"A hellish curse…"

Only a giggle answered. Pushing back her sleeve on her arm she stood up staring wide-eye at the old lady in front of her. She approached slowly the Princess grasping her right arm. Tenten stood astonished at her odd behavior not knowing how to react. How did she have entered her room without her noticing it? It was merely impossible. She was in front of the door, she should have seen her.

She looked down as the light of the moon reflect on the red dragon.

"This is the curse. You will wear it until your death and the death of the Yuui clan. When the war will come to an end, when you will be one again the Red Moon will appear."

She titled her head as Tenten tried to pull away. The old woman didn't let go her firm grip around her arm.

"Your destiny is far from here but this is the beginning. Many will fall. You are not a goddess. You can't save them all but the curse will give your people freedom. Remember, Princess, there is a reason to everything, even to your pain." She paused fingering the dragon. "A daughter of the Iron… A Jurinai…"

She had whispered the last part but the princess heard it. She widened eyes as she stopped resisting. Her father had mentioned this name many times. He had raised her in this name when her mother was too busy. She had been trained in the battlefield so she could see the true meaning of this name. It was based on three rules. Ignore your pain, you must do the difference between your soul and your body never relating them in any way. Fight until the end, this is your gift. Don't let anything stop you except Death. How could this woman possibly know?

"What do you want?"

The grey haired lady didn't bother to answer or choose to ignore her question.

"Find your soul, Princess. Your strength is what they think is your weakness. Remember and search the nine parts of the curse, of the prophecy. The Red Moon, the fall of the Yuui dynasty and the fall of China… You are the responsible, Princess. Don't fight your destiny, accepting it. You sacrifice your life for this. Isobel and you are in fact the same and unique person. You are the Dragon… Everything is ready now. The Prophecy and the curse will happen soon. Be prepared, Princess."

"What are you talking about, old lady?"

"The deer, the ferret, the raccoon, the eagle, the dog, the dove, the fox, the tiger and the dragon… 9 nine parts of the curse. They will come. You will recognize them, don't worry."

Before she could open her mouth to ask something, the old lady smiled stopping her mid-line.

"Now, you have to let the Dragon be a part of you."

The darkness embedded her slowly… How can light still exist in this world when everything is so dark? Whispers… Shadows whispered as she searched the light. Soon… It was there waiting for this moment since what seem forever for it.

She backed off jerking her head to a side to another.

It chuckled as the temperature rose. She didn't have any choice. She would have to accept it. The curse… _She_ was the curse whether she like it or not.

The world spun in front of her hazel eyes.

A hand of smoke appeared approaching her as a snake. Plunging and digging in her chest, everything went hotter and hotter. Her head was going to explode. It needed to stop now! It didn't. Ignoring her screams and her pain, it dug deeper. The smoke raised a finger brushing it against her heart. She widened eyes as her knees gave up under her. Something broke inside of her as the darkness won over her covering her eyes with a veil. The chains released the Beast.

Two golden orbs opened seeing the world for the first time since five centuries.

She breathed harder while the sweat fell, drop by drop, along her spine sending shivers through her whole body. It was free… A roar, then laughter reasoned in her head. A holler stayed imprisoned in her throat.

Free… Free! It was finally free!

Her soul and its became one while the darkness became red. Red like blood. _Her_ blood, the curse, she…

She collapsed but the Dragon awoke.

'_Oh, my… And this is only the beginning, Mistress, of the pain and the destruction.'_

**Inn in the poorest area**

**China, Xianyang**

The brown spiky haired man masticated his cigarette closing his eyes. The red and orange tongues of the lanterns drew their own shadows on his darkened complexion. His fingers massaged his neck as he leaned back on the wooden chair. Lying low in the darkest corner of the inn, his shadow was watching, scrutinizing everyone's facial expression searching for a traitor, someone who wasn't supposed to listen to his conversation. He had to find the spy before the spy found him or death would be waiting for him.

A member of the Nara clan, that's what he was. He was probably the last one moreover. It would have been foolish not to be careful. He didn't want to die any time soon. Even if it was troublesome, some things were meant to be done. He was a strategist after all, the future was clear but some parts were still in the blur almost buried in the center of the Earth. He was there for that after all; he was waiting for the blur to vanish completely.

The carillons hit one another's metallic surface as they played the lullaby of the night. The cool breeze of the winter swept immediately in reaching him. It played in his hair as it tried to bite his warm flesh. As fast as it came it disappeared chased away by the heat of the lanterns.

He let a smirk curved his lips not opening his eyes. He didn't need to. He knew already who had just entered the inn. Weight steps made the batten cracked softly as they made their way towards his table. Without any greeting an old woman sat in front of him. Unhurriedly, he opened his eyes frowning slightly.

He was waiting for a man, not a woman.

His shadow turned slowly his head towards the old lady. The man moved his fingers under the table and his shade followed his movement holding a kunai towards her.

Maybe he shouldn't have come after all. If she was a spy of the Emperor, it was going to turn ugly and he was all by his own. He wouldn't be able to do anything. Logically, if she was in, others were out waiting patiently such dogs for their dinner. The best thing to do was to obviate any source of trouble and to exit as fast as he could. The spell was taking too much of his energy, anyway. He had entered the place too early.

He stood up bowing politely at the elder. The woman grasped his arm as his eyes widened in alarm. Things were bad… She smiled warmly revealing her edentulous mouth.

Maybe… No, it couldn't! It was supposed to be a man.

"Please, sit down, Shikamaru. We have a lot of things to discuss."

The grip around his arm never let go. For an old lady, she surely was strong. His eyes automatically gazed rapidly over her frail body searching for any kind of weapons. Finally, he sat down not wanting to draw the attention to them. If someone could see his shadow it was without a doubt the end of his miserable existence.

"Wasn't I supposed to meet a man?" He asked but the moment his words escaped his mouth he regretted them. It didn't sound polite at all.

However, the woman just ignored his words and took out of her kimono a black bag of velour. He looked at it curiously as the lantern on the table brought back some symbols on it to life.

"What is in this?"

She smiled making it slid to him on the table. Still focusing on the object he didn't even bother to raise his head to face her again.

"This is for the man who will look at her with two moons. Together, they will be the Red Moon, the end of the Yuui clan and the fall of the Chinese Empire. However, you have your role in this fall as well. You will awake each of them before becoming yourself the Deer."

He jerked up his head frowning. He didn't come for this. He didn't care about her gibberish.

"I thought we were supposed to talk about the survivors, about my friends."

She shook her head, making her grey hair danced around her shoulders. For the first time since she entered the place, he noticed her beautiful purplish eyes full of mysteries. They weren't the eyes of a traitor but the eyes of a powerful ally.

"The shadows will find what you are searching for in the wind. Remember child, everything is planned. Fate may not exist but the Prophecy does."

"What does it have to do with me? Listen, troublesome woman, I-"

"You are nine Rebels, also called the Nine Moons," she cut off pressing her scrawny hand on his arm so he could understand how important it was. "You are one of them. You are a survivor, Shikamaru. This is your destiny."

This time, he wanted to push her away and to exit this damn inn. She was going too far. Without knowing it, she was crushing his hopes to see one member of his family still alive.

"You must go to the Palace, Shikamaru. You are the shadows. Your role is to see through the darkness, to enlighten the spirit of the others. But remember Shikamaru, in order to obtain freedom, there will be sacrifices. People will die. You need to let them go or you will forget to search for it in her."

He looked in her eyes nearly wishing to see a glint of insanity. There was nothing unless a pleading, unheard wish.

"What are you talking about, old woman? You are insane! I came here because I thought you have information on my friends. You are just talking about a Prophecy which will never happen! Five centuries! Five centuries since the Prophecy had appeared and the Yuui clan is still on the Crown, killing each day the magi-… the members of the clans of China!!"

"I told you, in order to obtain freedom, there will be sacrifice. The Akimichi boy, you are searching so desperately for, is dead along with the Yamanaka flower which has never bloom."

His below lip quivered at the mention of his best-friends' death. 'Chouji… Ino…' Before he could plunge in this cold abyss of sorrows and pain she shook his right arm. He cringed mentally. It was painful since the execution of the survivors of his clan. He shook his head pushing her hand away. He didn't want to remember, not now.

"The wind, kid, the wind! Search for the wind or you will remind broken forever."

She clenched her fists around his hand pressing the small bag against his palm.

"The dices are on your side now. Your next move will be in the Palace but a question remains… What will be your next move, Shikamaru?"

**-XOX-**

**Market place**

**China, Xianyang**

He leaned against the wall half masked by the darkness half by the shadows. The icy stone burned his back because of his lack of clothes but he stood still smelling the air, searching for any potential enemy or worse… He smiled putting his hands in his pockets. No guards… Perfect… He moved his nose in an animal's manner, plunging in the various scents and kind of food surrounding him. He was starving but he still couldn't believe he had to steal to eat something. Everything was so different when he had a family, a name, a world to be reattached to. Now, he didn't even have a roof over his head. He was in the street, stealing his food each night. Before he was entertaining the people in the streets with his dog by doing some tricks but the guards had quickly related him to the Inuzuka clan and killed the dog. He had been lucky to be able to make it alive. Like it wasn't enough, now a weird symbol was marking his right arm.

Slowly, he approached the cart of vegetables then the fruits' one. If he was quick no one should be able to see him or to sense his magic essence. He panted quietly drawing a thin blur in the cool air of the night. It was still a bit ironic to think that he had been part of one of the richest clan in China. He raised his head staring at the stars above his head. He had lost everything, everyone… There was only a bunch of traitors at the head of the country.

He kicked the ground at the thought of twenty Yuui soldiers scalding the whole compound. He shook his head. He was supposed to forget… He touched his cheeks where a dark earth was masking the red tattoos on his cheeks attesting of his appurtenance to the Inuzuka clan. He wasn't able to mask them in his sleep with a spell. He had to improvise. Besides, what would be more pitiful than to be killed in a soft almost refreshing dream about his past? He didn't want that. He wanted to live even if in was in shame. He signed loudly passing a hand through his messy spiky hair.

If only… If only everything he had believed in was true. If only there was a world where love, happiness, friendship, dreams could remain forever. The only things he had seen since his birth was hatred, anger, revenge, murders, will of power, betrayal… Where is the world where his mother had given birth to him?

He bit in an apple rolling his eyes at his philosophic thoughts. Kiba Inuzuka had just thought about a matter of life. He chuckled throwing the heart of the apple he had already eaten.

"I must have fallen low…" He said to himself biting this time in a carrot.

He opened his mouth once more to take another bit but a loud laughter resounded in the alley making him froze mid-air. His left hand immediately reached his kunai.

"I'm sorry, man, I don't have anything you can steal so search for someone else's purse. Have a good time!"

He stood up but he stopped when he realized 'the man' turned out to be an old lady hardly reaching his shoulders' level.

"Sorry, old lady, I thought-…"

"You have to learn to forgive the past if you want to walk forward the future, Kiba. There is a plenty of things in this world which will certainly help you in your destiny but others will try to destroy you. Learn to do the difference between the two."

He plastered a smile on his lips forcing his way past her but she grip his right arm making him cringed of pain. How could she possible know? No, it was simply out of luck. She couldn't guess… Right?

"The prophecy is written in your blood, on your flesh…"

She let it go before passing a hand over his chest. He shivered slightly but didn't pull away. Her purplish eyes… They were hypnotizing him. He could almost see tongues of flames burning in her intriguing orbs. What the hell was she? He gulped still looking in her piercing eyes.

"Let me go, old lady, I have a-…"

"Your heart is of pure gold, Kiba. Don't let your hatred consume you and destroy it. She will be like you but you will have to open her eyes to the world. Help her and you will help yourself."

He passed a hand through his hair narrowing slightly his dark orbs. Such nonsense! Did she really believe he will believe her?

"Why are you scared, Kiba, to walk forward without turning your head to look behind? I can't tell you are searching for freedom like the eight others. Look at your arm, this is the proof."

She smiled warmly at him backing off.

"This is your choice, Kiba, but do you believe you will be able to stand there doing nothing for or against the fate of this country? Will you really let a child grow up like you? Without a mother, a father or a sister? I know you. I can't read your heart, Kiba. The beginning is at the Yuui Palace. You are the Dog but remember she is free. Let her go. Everything will happen in due time. Good luck, Kiba."

She began to walk away but he blocked her way. He gesticulated in front of her before crying out of impatience. How could he put that into words? Did she even know what she was asking him? To go to the Yuui Palace… How insane! Did he have to show the head-man where to aim his sword on his neck too?

"What do you expect from me, old lady?"

She seemed visibly amused. She smiled up at him again like he was a lost child and her his mother.

"And you Kiba, what do you expect from yourself?"

She laughed softly as the wind brought the sound of her laughter away, before she disappeared in red flames.

**-XOX-**

**Underground,**

**Asian Continent, unspecified**

The darkness can take many forms, from an innocent yet violent nightmare of a little boy to the eyes of an assassin doing what he likes the most. This tango of the devil never ends. The dancers don't even follow a lead in particular. They are a bunch of people in the same room but from one another, they hearing a different melody, seeking for a different purpose.

There is another group of dancers, apart from the other ones. These are dancing for their own purposes, their own profit. There is no music playing to their ears there is only their leader's lullaby. This group is jumping from the classic to the tango each minute of their lives. There is no dark side or good side for them. This is their job, to be able to jump from a rhythm to another without disturbing anything or anyone. This is their livelihood, their everything, the reason they lived. In fact, they don't choose anything; they just follow the steam of the river never running against it, not even in their mind. They are humans, mortals, probably even more than some people, but their brain is to anticipate what is going to happen while their body is to follow the lead fluidly unnoticed, working left and right, for the dark for the light, but always for others. Some may say, they are chained but in fact they are free. They chose this kind of life. Believe it or not they love it. Every single action they execute are not even their burden, there are the weight of someone else on his shoulders not on theirs. Nothing can be more excited to them than to do something bad or right on someone else's back. This is true freedom. The ability to choose what is in fact choosing for you.

Performing secret acts underground since the creation of the world itself, these nomads don't need to voyage at all to reach a city. They are ruling the underground world and in some cases even the city itself. They can be your husband you have met twenty years ago or simply the bread baker in your neighborhood. They are everywhere, yet nobody seems to be able to see them. Moreover, it's almost impossible to tell the difference between the normal people and this special kind of people.

There was even a moment in history when the Guild had his own cities but as time pass the ancestors decided it was time to spring back into the game. The Guild had always aggregated the biggest, richest families of thieves of every single country. Everyone in the organization is somehow related by a way or by another even with the tiniest link of blood.

The brotherhood of the Guild had never been stronger than now that the war had began. As always, their action had stayed clandestine but they had supported the union of the five clans, the Aburame, the Nara, The Yamanaka, the Inuzuka and the Akimichi clan. However, their existence still remained in the folklore, and in some cases, in the mythology of some country. After all, an amphibian snaking under someone's shirt is always more dangerous than a tarantula walking slowly towards this someone under the hot sun.

Masters of the secrets, they don't any hierarchy in particular. Everyone worked for anyone but the elders treated the 'work', most likely thievery and murders, in order or priority. Of course, the top of the priority is always the one who is offering the most in exchange for the nasty job he can't do by himself.

---

A flimsy trickle of mould was sinking down the walls of the once catacomb. The secret passage was guarded by a spell aged of two centuries. Anyone who will dare to approach the gates to enter the underground world will be reduced to dust if the blood flowing through his veins wasn't from the Guild. This hidden place was more than just the home of the members of the Guild, it was a place of knowledge, a place where secrets never die. These mysteries of all kind keep, in fact, this place alive.

Three masked silhouettes by an ample clothe and by the deepening obscurity of the whole hall. These three elders were household named the Sannin, the most dangerous trio of thieves ever known and feared in Antiquity.

They were forming the circle of the Ancestors, around another smaller shadowed figured, wrapped in a black cloak and their visages shrouded by a white mask. In the other hand, even if the woman in the middle was hidden under the cloak of the darkness she was standing chin up facing the elders. Her pink locks were pushed behind her ears while her eyebrows were frowned almost joining one another. A glint of intelligence burning in her emerald look, she seemed to be calculating the situation ahead without missing a part of the details surrounding her.

Sakura had been raised in the heart of the Guild being the daughter of the Elder Tsunade. She had been trained since the vulnerable age of six by her mother to become soon the youngest and yet the most gifted thief and medical nin of the Guild. This was why she was standing, alone, in the middle of the circle waiting for the orders…

"Sakura Haruno, do you accept this mission?" The throaty voice of the first elder echoed against the inner walls of the hall.

The torches began to burn slowly crackling softly as the fire faintly illuminated the visage of the young woman. The reflections of the flames played on her pink hair and on her creamy complexion darkening its original color. This was the beginning. She could sense their magic essence amplified by their morose mood. Danger was approaching… watching for more blood to come like a vulture gliding around a carcass.

"I do." She replied strongly as her mother smirked under her mask.

"Sakura Haruno, swear you will stay devoted and will always protected the secrets of the Guild even under the most painful tortures." The second elder hissed along with the snake wrapped around his neck.

The traditional words they were employing weren't matted to be trifled with. If there was one thing the Guild couldn't accept was a liar or a traitor within its organization. Furthermore, there was no coming back option. If you choose to quit the Guild, the members will persecuted you until one of them make your head fall or worst… Even if the whole clan knew something it didn't mean everyone of the outside world needs to know it as well. No. A long time ago, when the Guild was created, it had sworn to keep the Secrets of the Continent. This alliance to the Creators was still holding today and any action against it was punished with death.

"I swear."

"Sakura Haruno, your mission is to follow your destiny, to guard the Secrets in the outside world and to kill anyone who might prevent you to execute your mission. You must, however, keep in mind The Prophecy of the Ancients."

She joined her hands bowing her head slightly. A billion of questions were whirling in her head but she kept her mouth shut. It would have been useless. She needed to find the answers by herself or this mission was a failure before even beginning. Without wasting another minute she ran off.

"There is a reason to everything, Sakura. You are the eagle after all." The first elder muttered to her ears as she passed by him.

**-XOX-**


	3. Chapter 1 part 2

**Chapter 1 part 2**

**By Cheerios Freak**

**Yuui Palace**

**China, Xianyang**

The Yuui clan had expanded the Palace the moment the war had been over. The wooden compound was ever more gracious and the main house, surrounded by the side house occupied by the families of the nobles or his higher ranked officers, was made of marble. The gardens were filling the air of their delicate scent as much the night than the day. The Yuui Palace could bring all the robbers and the assassins of the whole country but hidden warriors and guards were waiting for them. Legends stated that a colossal treasure is guarded under the tower of the royal family but no one had ever been able to go through the defensive obstacles set everywhere around the main tower.

However, there were other rumors about the dark shadowed tower at the North of the compound. They stated that every day around midnight they can hear the hollers of pain of every man who had been tortured or killed in those walls. The peasants feared this tower, never going closer than necessary. This construction had been built five centuries ago by the first Yuui. Then, his descendants used it to imprison the Jurinai in view of their execution. Some says that the dark color of its walls is due to the blood of the executed ones which had flows there for centuries. It had been a while since it had last used but now the Emperor seemed to have retaken the old habit of his predecessors…

Yuui Jun, first son of Wu, warrior adopted within the clan by his wedding with Xiu only child of the previous generation of Yuui, had inherited the will of power from all his ancestors reunited. The Emperor was clever and manipulative in the most outrageous ways only to obtain something. Since the beginning of his reign, he was calculating every move of the generals of his deceased father. Each time, he had killed them before they could think about killing him.

He stood straight emotionless as the red liquid reflected in his pale blue eyes. Soon, the inert body of the man fell to the ground along with his vital liquid. His below lip was twitched in pain his body was seared and seemed to be ready to break like a porcelain doll. His harshly, painful respiration soon transform into short jerky pants.

The young brown haired man narrowed slightly his eyes. He made a move of the hand and two guards helped the man to his feet bringing him at the level of the Emperor. He signed as the man's eyes widened slightly in fear but he pushed back his emotions in his heart looking up at him emotionless. They won't know anything.

"I'm afraid I'm not as patient as the executioner."

The man at the other side of the room wiped the blood on his instruments of torture, smirking at the man. The guy was pretty resistant but he won't last long. Even if he liked his work more than anything, it was his sixth 'victim' this week. Strangely, he had overheard that each of them was a friar from the Temple of the Dragon. Usually, he wouldn't dare to touch someone from a holy place but arguing with the newly named Emperor wasn't even an option. He was only doing quietly his job to remain alive. He had a family to feed after all.

"By one way or another you will talk." He continued smirking haughtily.

He twisted his fingers in his orange robs of religious titling his head. The young man remained still masking his pain and his fear behind a mask of disinterested. He needed to be strong not just for him but for his brothers too. They have sworn to keep the secret. He will never betrayal his troth or simply the Temple. He must remain faithful and if it means a painful death.

"Never…" He replied as strongly as he could manage.

"It seems like you did your choice but may I remind you that the basic of the torture is not to wound someone physically but psychologically. Its true meaning is to break souls. Every soul has a weakness. Do you agree with me, Kabuto?" He asked looking over his shoulder at his right-hand.

The grey haired man let a smirk curved his lips adjusting his glasses on his nose. This was so easy… at his eyes, this man was already dead.

"I totally agree with you, Your Highness."

He turned his head back towards his prisoner. His pale blue eyes searched in the friar's facial expression for some unspoken answers but there was nothing but his emotions; his anger, his fear and even his pain… These things were useless for him. He decided to continue the little game the young man hadn't caught yet. It was the end for him. If the Emperor had to use completely his plan he was done for. Everything was calculated in the slightest detail and when he was taking the second step, well blood was going to flow. It was a sad fact no one had ever avoided even his own father.

"Then, why don't you show what we have gotten for our dear friend over there."

His right-hand shook out his arm grabbing a little girl from behind the door. The child tried to escape the strong man's grip but her arm began to ach even more. She shook her head shivering slightly. The eyes of the man widened. How dare they? They couldn't! She was just a child, his daughter. He gritted his teeth glaring at the Emperor who only smiled in respond.

It is so easy to break a soul… To make slide into two pieces by choosing between the things he likes the most.

"Father! Father, what is happening? They… they killed mother."

She raised her head towards her father her below lip quivering and her eyes watering. He widened eye unable to glare at anyone. He couldn't bring himself to imagine the body of his wife lying on the ground and his daughter assisting at the scene crying and shouting.

"Will you die you too?" She muttered as her tears fell, crashing on the floor.

The man dropped his head. His wife was killed and now they were planning to do the same with his daughter, his only child.

The Emperor smirked reaching for the little girl. She let out a yelp of pain as he grabbed her hair to make her face her father.

"Have you anything to say to your daughter, friar Bai?"

He signed coughing some blood in the process. His nails dug in his laps as he sensed the eyes of his daughter on him. He closed his eyes, praying God for mercy. To respect the Secret or to save his only child's life? His lips twisted in anger as he understood he wouldn't be able to bear the pain of the lost of his daughter.

"Fine, you win. I will talk. Just don't wound her." He pleaded.

"Very well. Now, tell me what exactly the prophecy is."

"Lady Isobel Jurinai created it five centuries ago."

"I already knew that." The Emperor hissed between his teeth out of impatience.

Was he mocking him? In respond, he took out a kunai from his belt pressing it slightly against the little girl's neck. Feeling the cold metal against her skin, fear rushed into her veins while more tears ran down her face. She saw her fearful reflection only for a second before turning a pleading look towards her father. The man avoided eye-contact deciding his laps were somehow more interesting or maybe just less heartbreaking than his daughter.

"I will repeat my question once more. If I am not satisfied with your answer your beautiful daughter will suffer the consequences at your place. So where was I? Oh, yes. The prophecy?!"

"_When the gory rain of the Emperor will pour,_

_Nine incomplete moons will rise from the shadows,_

_Under the name of nine animals,_

_Their destinies are marked in their flesh forever,_

_They are the nine curses of China,_

_They will destroy the Yuui clan,_

_Creating the fall of China, _

_When their blood will reflect on the Moon,"_

"Is there a missing part of the prophecy by any chance?"

"N-no."

"Well, I think it still misses a vital part."

"I don't see…"

"Well, you know what I see? The death of your daughter! TALK!"

"The Dragon!" He cried nervously in despair. "The one who will be the Dragon will be the reincarnation of Isobel Jurinai and her blood will be flowing in her veins."

The kunai dug in her flesh and her blood fell slowly on the silver as he paused coughing more blood. He made a move towards his daughter when he heard her scream of pain but the guards kept him in place.

"Please, friar Bai, continue. I think you weren't finished."

His below lip quivered as he watched his children squirming of pain and of fear.

"Her soul is locked somewhere in the Japanese territory. If it is unlocked by a way or by another, the Red Moon will happen."

"Where?"

"I don't know. None of us as ever succeed in finding it but the Guild knows exactly where it is."

"The Guild, hun? How interesting. Thank you for your cooperation, friar Bai, now…"

Without a warning, Kabuto cut his head off and the Emperor simply cut the throat of the little girl. The two bodies fell at the same time on the floor their eyes crazed, still trying desperately to reach freedom.

"You were being a nuisance but thank you for the information. Drop their bodies in the river, soldiers."

The two guards bowed lowly before taking the corpses out of the tower. With Jun as an Emperor, they were certain the fishes would never die out of starvation.

His imperial robs flagged loudly as he turned on his heels heading directly towards the gardens. Kabuto ran after him after having paid the executioner.

"How will we find the Guild, Your Highness?" He asked.

Like every other Chinese, this mythic group was at his eyes only a rumor. However, the Emperor seemed to think they really do exist.

"In exchange of a bag of gold many people will talk."

"Don't you think your sister will find out about your plans? May I remind you that the Princess is particularly stubborn and…"

He had already thought about it. A pouf of smoke appeared next to him drawing a smirk on the Emperor's lips.

He stood emotionless walking next to them his arms behind his back. His white traditional robs danced slowly around him as his pearl eyes stayed as sharp as ice. His long dark brown hair was tied in a low pony-tail. Everything emanating from him was cold, sharp, beyond reach…

"This is Lord Neji Hyuuga, nephew of the Emperor of Japan.His Majesty, the Emperorsend him to look over the alliance of our two countries. He will stay here until the wedding of Lady Hanabi Hyuuga with Lord Haku Yuui and maybe more if the menace of the Rebels hadn't died down."

Kabuto raised a brow as the Hyuuga nodded slightly in respond.

"But, Your Highness, I can easily-…"

"Don't worry, Kabuto. The wedding of Hanabi Hyuuga and Haku Yuui will happen. Lord Hyuuga will kill personally the Rebels of this country. The Hyuuga clan will indorse our cause and crush one after all those traitors. This alliance, you see my dear General, is both economic and politic. It is for the future of this country."

He nodded understanding immediately the strategy of the Emperor. He was going to crush 'these Rebels' who turned out to be the Living Beats and when they will give him the last Living Beast he will kill off the Hyuuga clan and gain the control of Japan by doing so.

If everything happened according to the plans, Lord Uchiha was going to return with the first Living Beast. Without it, the Red Moon will never happen and the Yuui clan will remain master of theses lands. The prophecy of this… of this _witch_ will never happen. In fact, she will be giving the Emperor the Living Beasts and more power! He will even possess Japan soon.

"You are right, My Grace… My deepest apologies."

The Emperor smiled satisfied as his General bowed lowly. It was so easy... The emotionless fool besides him seemed to be the only one who didn't understand his conspiracy.

He bowed his head in return and continued to head towards the main house, saluted by all the nobles in the gardens in his way.

"I will present you my sister, Lord Hyuuga, so you can start now. For now, keep an eye on her. I receive several messages of threats and I'm afraid she will suffer the consequences. Don't tell her about it. She will be frightened. One more thing… Don't let alive **any** rebel."

Again, Kabuto held back his smirk… He would surely 'arrange' something to make the Hyuuga kill this useless princess.

The Throne will stay his forever if everything was according to his plans. Yes… If…

**-XOX-**

**Desert of Gobi,**

**Sabaku Tribe's territory.**

The chilly breeze of the night blew the sand at their feet masking the blood and the cadavers. Such desolation at night but the sun had this strange power to change the mood, the atmosphere of loneliness.

His jade eyes pierced through the sand dunes searching for any other enemy. It wasn't the end. No… The sweat, the blood… This scent belonged to men. He had to admit they were clever. They were wearing sandy cloaks and under, their armour. The torches drove in the sand weren't of any help. Even in the faraway sandy background, it was impossible to distinguish any reflection of a piece of metal, thus impossible to tell where they were hiding.

Still, it was unusual. Anybody sane will ever think about attacking the Desert of Gobi. The Asian folks recounted that a demon was born on those damned lands. Everyone who had stepped in the Desert to find out the truth never came back to tell if the Demon did existed. It was true, at a time, a demon was living there, killing for life itself. However, things are never permanent. Even with the rumors of the Demon, the Sabaku Tribe **(A/N: In Japanese **_sabaku_** means Desert, thus the Tribe of the Desert.) **had always been living on those lands protecting the 'Demon' and the secrets of the Desert.

The Desert had become the grave of at least a two hundreds men. The cadavers were mostly Chinese warriors but some of the Sons of the Desert were lying as hell for the eternity. He gritted his teeth glaring at the dunes of sand. The sand was a part of him, he was the Sand! How can it fail him now?

The man next to jade eyed man panted softly preparing his puppets in case of another attack. He was fighting with puppets and still his muscles were aching, his forehead and his back were sweaty but he couldn't give up now. Three battalions of Chinese had already rushed on the sand dunes killing merciless and burning the tents and the caravans of the Tribe. The grey ash had mixed with the reddish sand leaving the macabre scent of blood and the burned textile filling the air. They weren't foolish enough to even hope to get the hell out of there alive. It was their home! They couldn't just run away and leave the Desert to the hands of the Chinese. Still, they couldn't just stand there waiting for Death.

The two brothers waited patiently trying to silent their pain and their anxiety. Another battalion and they were done for. In the other hand, their sister remained calm holding a safe grip on her giant fan. They were the only ones still standing up. Most of their men had died on the fight or plainly of exhaustion. They have been caught by surprise but they have quickly fought back with all their soul masking the escape of the women and the children in the Mountains of Mongolia.

"I guess it won't be necessary any-…"

A rain of arrows began to pour on their heads silencing the youngest sibling. They jumped, dodging the most projectiles. Where were they coming from? A scream of pain pierced the silence. Red sand constituted slowly a slender river. Jade and green eyes widened freezing mid-air, scared to turn their head towards their brother.

"KANKUROOO!!" She couldn't help but screamed trying to contain her tears.

Her body quivered and her nails dug in the metallic surface of her fan. His two puppets fell to the ground before their master. Without thinking, the youngest prince of the Desert covered her mouth muttering a quick spell.

---

From faraway, beyond the most distant dunes of sand, the warriors simply saw the three bodies of the survivors yielding under a thousand of arrows. The General of the militaries adjusted his brown cloak pushing aside his hoot. The silver moon lightened his onyx orbs and his pale almost morbid complexion. He folded his arms over his chest as his eyes became red, the colour of blood, of anger, of power...

"Search for the Vessel." He said shortly still describing with his eyes the relief of the Desert.

The soldiers behind him nodded curtly running off towards the carnage. He stood still smirking smugly. Soon… Power will be his soon… The Emperor was such a fool. If he finds the Raccoon now, he would never give it to him. With a Living Beast he was certain to be able to kick the Yuui clan out of the country and to sit on the Crown of China but with the nine Living Beasts… The world would be his and he will immortal and invincible. Even that damn prophecy wouldn't be able to stop him. As for the Yuui clan… His smirk widened as he closed his eyes. Without knowing it they were falling in his deathly plan.

"Sir?"

He turned faintly his head looking at the soldier with only an eye. It was enough to scare the crap out of him anyway.

"What is it?" He asked coldly.

His men were still scavenging the rubble of the battlefield. What could the shrimp possibly want?

"Um… What about the women and the children, sir? Should we search for them, sir?"

"No. His Grace is searching for a man, the Vessel. We know he is neither a woman nor a child. He is… He's the Demon of the Desert."

He smirked closing his eyes. He didn't need to look at the young man to know he was shivering of fear. This shrimp was without a doubt useless if he couldn't hear about a demon or simply recognize it when it was straight in front of him.

"Tell the men down there to hurry up. I don't have all night." He stated coldly glaring at the soldier behind him so he could run the fastest possible.

It worked. The next minute, the soldier was running down the dune towards the ruins of the tents and the caravans.

The wind flapped on his cloak making his little companion hissed at the breeze and at the low-temperature. It moved up under his shirt. It rubbed its icy scaly skin against his warm one.

"Soon… Very soon… A bloodbath…" The snake hissed enrolling his body around his neck. "However, be careful the nine Living Beasts are about to awake from their slumber."

Absently, he caressed the reptile never tearing one's gaze away from the man researches.

"You know I'm always careful, Isei** (A/N: it means 'power' in Japanese.)**."

"I know, but the bloodbath might reflect on the moon…"

He stopped brutally his caresses glaring down at the animal.

"Are you saying I will create the Red Moon? Are you aware that I can kill you in the next second?"

"No, of course not, I'm only saying that the curse is strong. After five centuries, I can still feel the spell in the Chinese ground. Without a doubt she was strong and she still is, even in death."

"Hn… I just need to kill her direct descendant in other words?"

"Yes… and let me taste her blood. It had been more than five centuries I haven't taste the blood of a Jurinai." Isei said in a chuckle but stopped when he sensed the charka of the men behind his master.

The General sensed them too but didn't turn around. The reptile disappeared in his robs chuckling softly.

"Have you found him?"

"No, sir. We searched everywhere but none of them had a hellish curse tattooed anywhere. Maybe we-…"

"Shut up." He ordered darkly.

The men gulped bowing their head in defeat. Isei chuckled softly gazing at the men in front of his master. Humans are so predictable… You can't order anything if they don't fear you. Poor little creatures… they can't even stand on their own without anyone pushing them behind.

"He survived. We have nothing else to do here. We are leaving." He turned around walking arms in his pocket towards them. He stopped at their level smirking smugly. "Of course, it is useless to tell you that the Emperor won't be happy at all. Don't you think, soldiers?"

Fear… one of the strongest power, but of course it is not enough without strength.

---

The blond woman closed her eyes hiding her facial expression behind her cloak's hoot. Her brother stayed quiet behind her. It would have been useless to talk to her. She was beyond mad. Without a doubt, she will seek for revenge but at that point he will be force to interfere. Kankuro was his brother too but avenging his soul and to end up killed will never help anyone feel better.

"The children of the Desert…"

They jumped in surprise reaching quickly for their weapons. How could they have possibly found them? They were at the bottom of the Mongolian Mountains. How could they reach this distance unnoticed and in less than five minutes? No, they couldn't know.

They frowned at the petite shadowed silhouette of an old lady.

"In the folk of Asian, they are called the Demons of the Sand. In fact, there were only three demons. However, only two will awake. The third will fall. If I were you, I would hurry up. The Red Moon is about to happen. Go to China, to the Yuui Palace, you will find the others. Your destinies are now settled, Temari and Gaara. But remember, revenge will destroy you. Oh and Gaara, a blossom can germinate in the Desert if you give her love."

She laughed cheerfully as a she became dust, carried away by the fresh wind of the night in the Desert.

"Wait! What the hell are you talking about?! AN-…"

He covered her mouth looking around. Was she doing it on purpose or have she simply lost her brain during the battle? He signed as she pushed his hand away. She was so stubborn.

"What are you planning to do now, Gaara?"

He didn't look at her. He didn't need to. He knew already what she wanted to hear.

"We are leaving."

She smirked.

"You got it, little bro. These Chinese are so going to pay for Kankuro's death."

He closed his eyes folding his arms. Maybe it was a bad idea after all.

"Temari, they didn't kill us because they wanted our territory. They killed our people because they knew for us."

"W-what? But everyone thinks there is only one demon in the Desert. They couldn't guess there were two or… even three." She added quietly looking away.

"They didn't. They were here for me, only. We are not demons. We are above all humans. A demon never dies. I killed mine. Kankuro died. There is only you left. Careful Temari, you are feeding him with your will of revenge."


End file.
